Succeeding With Value-Based Reimbursement: An OPEN MINDS Executive Seminar On Organizational Competencies & Management Best Practices For Value-Based Contracting
This shift away from traditional fee-for-service reimbursement models to value-based reimbursement (VBR) has turned “business as usual” on its head for many specialty provider organizations. It has forced executive teams to continue their current operations, while simultaneously implementing new services, technology, and data-driven systems that are necessary for VBR success. New or redesigned services linked to quality outcomes need to be built, negotiated and piloted. Technology that drives outcomes and creates operational efficiencies needs to be identified, funded, and implemented. And a culture of using data to ensure standardized, results-oriented outcomes across the organization must be built. Provider organizations need to move from an understanding of the key competencies required in the VBR model to tactical initiatives for implementing the talent, technology, and systems that deliver quality and value.
This executive seminar is designed to help organizations across the country implement the competencies and tactics for value-based contracts. In the seminar, executive teams of provider organizations will:
- Confirm that the foundational components of infrastructure needed for VBR are in place
- Identify how to move from service value concepts linked to VBR to discussions with payers and implementation of new VBR services
- Implement approaches to realigning their service model to ensure success in a value-driven market
Ken Carr
Ken Carr brings more than 20 years of finance, technology, data analysis, and reporting experience in the health and human services field to OPEN MINDS. He currently is a Senior Associate with the OPEN MINDS consulting practice. In this role, he has served as a subject matter expert leading numerous engagements in strategic planning, merger and acquisition prospecting, business process improvement, financial analysis of service lines, and technology selection.
Before joining the OPEN MINDS team, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Centers, a community mental health center in Ocala, Florida. In this position, Mr. Carr led a realignment of the organization’s financial management functions. This included revenue cycle management, EHR bill implementation and reporting, cash management enhancement, and strategic financial analysis.
Prior to his role at The Centers, Mr. Carr served as Chief Financial Officer of Guild Incorporated, an organization providing residential and community based mental health services in St. Paul, Minnesota. As CFO, Mr. Carr led the financial, billing, IT, quality, informatics, compliance, and facilities activities. During his tenure at Guild Incorporated, Mr. Carr used his expertise in change management and business process improvement to lead the EHR implementation team, align service data reporting and financial performance, and lead the financial and data capture activities for new service initiatives.
Mr. Carr has also held the positions of Administrative Director and Finance Director at the St. Paul National Testing Laboratory, a biomedical testing facility of the American Red Cross. In those positions he oversaw activities to enhance inventory management, align financial results to industry standards, and improve financial and facilities performance through problem analysis and quality management initiatives. He also was involved in directing human resource functions during laboratory closing near the end of his tenure.
Mr. Carr earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota and a Master of Divinity Degree from Sioux Falls Seminary. He maintains an active CPA license with the State of South Dakota.
Cathy Gilbert
Healthcare executive with over twenty years experience in the health care industry including non-profit, government and private insurance with ten years progressively higher level experience in provider networks in behavioral health arena.
The OPEN MINDS Children’s Summit: The Future Of School-Based Health Services
Provider organizations serving children with complex support needs and youth in underserved communities are seeking to develop innovative programs and models of care that integrate behavioral health support services with educational needs. However, these young people often end up in a no-win situation in which either treatment or education is put first. With the current focus on social determinants of health, how are provider organizations keeping pace with the changing market to ensure the focus on education and the focus on treatment sit side-by-side? Join us for discussions about the opportunities and ongoing challenges facing the children's services market. Executives will discuss innovations in school-based service delivery, the intersection between education and health care funding, and evolving payment models that could systemically address these challenges in the future.
Derek S. Allen, MA ACTP
Derek Allen, MA ACTP, Starr Commonwealth’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, provides administrative leadership and supervision to all Starr programs and departments as well as leads the organization’s business development efforts. Programs include school- and community-based behavioral health services, trauma screening/assessment and intervention services, resilient school projects, professional training and consulting, and eLearning certification and degreed programs for professionals around the world.
He also serves as a Senior Consultant for Starr’s trauma-informed, resilience-focused approach. In this role, Derek works with schools, organizations, and communities around the country in their implementation of system-wide approaches that best support the needs of students and families who have experienced trauma, adversity, toxic stress, and/or systemic racism and oppression.
He provides “thought-leadership” to the Starr organization in the areas of strength-based approaches in education and treatment and building resilience in children and families. Derek is currently pursuing a doctoral degree from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Though Derek is proud of the work of Starr Commonwealth and honored to serve as a senior leader, he is clear that his role as a father is the “most important hat” he will ever wear. His son, Sam, is his “reason for being”. When he is not working or spending time with Sam, Derek enjoys traveling, binge watching “good shows” on HBO or Netflix, trying new restaurants, and/or “hanging out” with his close knit group of best friends.
Steven Bulger
Steven Bulger has over twenty years’ experience in the behavioral health field with fifteen years at ICAN, serving as CEO/Executive Director since 2014. ICAN is a nonprofit provider of innovative home and community based interventions in Upstate New York.
Bulger received a Bachelors in Psychology and Political Science from Niagara University in 2003 and a MBA in Health Services Management from SUNY Polytechnic Institute in 2013. He is a 2014 graduate of Leadership Mohawk Valley.
Starting at ICAN fifteen years ago, Bulger was hired as an entry-level Service Coordinator. He was promoted to the position of Residential Outreach Manager in 2008, and was instrumental in creating the Return Home Early Project which has received national attention by both the Building Bridges Initiative and the White House Council for Community Solutions. In 2010, he was promoted to the position of Director of Operations and became responsible for the day to day operations of the agency including human resources, marketing, and information technology. ICAN has seen significant growth since Bulger’s appointment as CEO/Executive Director, and now provides services to 1,200 families’ everyday through 16 programs across six Upstate New York counties.
Bulger has presented on the innovative ICAN model across the country with presentations at the Annual Research and Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health in Tampa, FL, the Mental Health Association of San Francisco Annual Conference, in San Francisco, CA, University of Maryland’s Training Institutes National Conference: Leading Change – Integrating Systems and Improving Outcomes in Behavioral Health for Children, Youth,
Young Adults, and Their Families in Washington, DC and the Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health in Las Vegas, NV. He was recognized in 2004 by Baker Victory Services with the Service to Youth Award, and in 2016 with the Follow the Leader Award through Leadership Mohawk Valley. He currently serves as a Board Director for the following entities: New York State Coalition for Children’s Behavioral Health, SUNY POLY College of Business Management Professional Advisory Board, and the Mohawk Valley Regional Planning Consortium where he is the co-chair. He has also been a member of the Westmoreland Central School District Board of Education since December 2019.
Steven and his wife Laura reside in Westmoreland, NY with their two children Breana and Stevie. Bulger is actively involved in coaching Pop Warner Football and Little League Baseball in his home community.
Jeremy D. Butler
Pia V. Escudero, LCSW
Mental health leader and social work professional with 20+ years of experience in the development of mental health programs for the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the United States. Direct the efforts of over 2000 school mental health and health professionals, including social workers, nurses, pediatricians, child psychiatrists, human relations and restorative justice experts, and other administrative functions.
Olga Price, Ph.D.
Olga Acosta Price is an Associate Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health. She is also Director of the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, a national resource and technical assistance center committed to building effective school health programs.
A passionate advocate of school-based mental health services, Olga Acosta Price has dedicated her formal training in clinical psychology to improving the lives of young people. "My experiences working with children, youth and families have driven my desire to understand resilience and to approach our work together from a strength-based perspective," she says. Giving voice to the concerns of young people is an essential priority for her. "I thoroughly enjoy creating opportunities for youth to share their insights. They don't hesitate to tell those of us who develop systems of care that we are clueless about what the world is really like for them."
Prior to joining the faculty in 2006, Professor Price was director of the School Mental Health Program at the Department of Mental Health in Washington, DC, where she earned the Employee of the Year award. She was also an assistant professor at the University of Maryland's School of Medicine and served as associate director of the Center for School Mental Health Assistance, a national technical assistance center. In that latter capacity, she helped to promote the development of school-based mental health services across the country.
Kristen Rasmussen
Kristen Rasmussen has over thirty-three years of experience in the behavioral health field with seven years at ICAN, serving as an executive team member since 2013. ICAN is a nonprofit provider of innovative home and community- based interventions in Upstate New York and provides services to 1,500 individual daily through 20 programs across six counties.
Rasmussen received a Bachelor of Science in Cultural & Women’s Studios from SUNY Empire State College and holds a Master of Social Work degree from Syracuse University.
Rasmussen began working with ICAN (then Kids Oneida) seventeen years ago as an independent contractor. She was hired as an Associate Executive Director five years ago with the responsibility of oversight of programs and services. Having spent her entire career serving children and families in the greater Utica area, she was able to bring her vast experience and skillset to the organization, complementing the existing leadership team. Since joining the ICAN team, the organization has stabilized and improved programming, diversified funding streams, and created new program offerings for families. Under Rasmussen’s leadership, ICAN’s programs and services have experienced significant growth.
For the past twenty-two years, Rasmussen has been asked to present and be a keynote speaker at numerous professional conferences in the Upstate New York region on various topics including; Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Comprehensive Behavior Management, Positive Parenting, Mindfulness, Alternative Approaches to Wellness and Creating Safe Spaces. Discovering yoga in her late teens, Rasmussen has infused a blend of traditional Western psychology and alternative Eastern spiritual practice in all of her work with individuals. As a strong advocate for wellness in the workspace, she facilitates yoga and mindfulness sessions with staff. Rasmussen has played a significant role in positively impacting the culture of the organization.
Rasmussen has spent the majority of her career as a social justice advocate by promoting positive change within the community. She has a special ability to connect with youth and her career has had an intentional focus on youth with significant mental/behavioral health challenges, the LGBTQ community, the homeless youth population, and teen parents.
Kristen and her partner Kent reside in New Hartford, NY with their son Lukäs and a lovely tribe of animals. The Rasmussen’s also have two grown daughters, Britt and Emma, and a grandson Quinn. Rasmussen’s family has a passion for the outdoors, hockey, music and the arts. Rasmussen enjoys hiking, kayaking and practicing yoga and mindfulness.
Tamra Williams, Ph.D.
Dr. Williams serves as a licensed Clinical Psychologist with 15 years of experience as a Director of Clinical Services and clinical operations manager with a passion for program development and quality improvement. Licensed in PA, MA, and FL.
Kimberly Bond, MS
Kimberly Bond, MS, LMFT, brings more than 30 years of experience providing behavioral health treatment in the public and community settings to the OPEN MINDS team. She currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Business Development. In this role, Ms. Bond focuses on growing the OPEN MINDS client portfolio across all nine verticals of OPEN MINDS business.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Ms. Bond served concurrently as a Program Coordinator III and Clinical Manager of Adult Services and a Program Coordinator II and Clinical Manager of Recovery Services for the Ozark Guidance Center. In these roles, Ms. Bond was responsible for the administrative and clinical oversight of the adult outpatient and adult intensive mental health services on the Springdale Campus as well as the adult recovery/co-occurring services, including domestic violence and anger management treatment.
Prior to joining the Ozark Guidance Center, Ms. Bond served as the Executive Vice President of Center Point, Inc, a large substance abuse provider agency in California. In this role, Ms. Bond was responsible for the clinical and administrative supervision of all community-based programs as well as the women and children residential programs. In addition, Ms. Bond also managed budgets, interacted with funding agencies, and built positive relationships with all stakeholders. Ms. Bond was also in charge of proposal and grant writing, staff management, and training, facilities’ licensing and certifications renewals. Additionally, she prepared and submitted monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports to various funders.
Previously, Ms. Bond served as the President and CEO of Mental Health Systems, Inc. Ms. Bond was very instrumental in growing the agency from $12 million in annual revenue to more than $100 million and becoming one of the largest providers of behavioral health services in California. In this role, Ms. Bond was responsible for the strategic, clinical, financial, and administrative health of the agency, including direct supervision of Senior Executive Staff. In addition, Bond ensured contract compliance of the agency’s 125 different contracts across federal and state agencies and eight counties.
Ms. Bond received her bachelor’s degree in psychology, with honors, and her master’s degree in counseling education from San Diego State University. She is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in both California and Arkansas.
Sharon Hicks
Sharon Hicks, OPEN MINDS Senior Associate, has more than 20 years of experience in the health and human service field. She has extensive experience and wide range of expertise in health plan management, in clinical operations management, and technology.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Ms. Hicks spent two decades in a number of executive positions within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) system and within its health plan division. Ms. Hicks served as the Chief Operating Officer for Community Care Behavioral Health, a managed behavioral health organization. There she was responsible for all aspects of the organization’s operations including fiscal, information systems, the claims processing department, and the design of clinical systems. In addition, Ms. Hicks managed the day-to-day operations of including human resources, facilities, purchasing, and security.
Ms. Hicks also served as the Vice President, Internet Strategy, UPMC Insurance Services Division and, since 2002, as the Chief Executive Officer of Askesis Development Group, Inc. In this role, Ms. Hicks was responsible for the growth of the company, profitability of the company, and the direction of software development.
Ms. Hicks started her impressive health care career as a psychiatric social worker before being promoted to Assistant Director of Social Work. Prior to her executive promotions, Ms. Hicks served as a Clinical Administrator for both Ambulatory Services and Emergency and Intake Services at the UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. In this role, she managed the behavioral health division, the budgets for all departments, and implemented new software replacing paper billing for clinical services.
Ms. Hicks received both her Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Social Work degrees from the University of Pittsburg. Before pursuing her graduate education, Ms. Hicks received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
How To Develop A New Service Line: An OPEN MINDS Seminar On Building A Diversification Strategy & Conducting A Feasibility Analysis
In the current environment of changing consumer expectations and new financial models, one essential skill that all executives need to master is the ability to evaluate and modify current services as well as to develop new services to meet the challenges in the changing market including being more financially viable and relevant to consumers.
In this exciting session, we will review everything you need to know about developing a new service line starting with analyzing your current service lines to determine strategic options for diversification. Executive attendees will learn how to:
- Create a structured approach for selecting new services for your organization while ensuring they are financially sustainable
- Develop a costing model for launching new services
- Create a structured service line feasibility analysis and development process
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M., Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.
Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics. Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.
Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, more than half of his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.
He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.
Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.
Kelvin McCord
Welcome, Announcements & Results From The 2021 OPEN MINDS Performance Management Executive Survey: Where Are We On The Road To Value
During this opening session, OPEN MINDS Chief Executive Officer, Monica E. Oss will open the institute by sharing the results of this year's survey, The 2021 OPEN MINDS Performance Management Executive Survey: Where Are We On The Road To Value, and discussing their implications for health and human service organizations.
OPEN MINDS surveyed specialty provider organizations in the health and human services to determine where they are on the road to technology adoption. The survey provides information on:
- Performance-based contracts for staff by market and organizational size
- Trends in value-based contracting arrangements by market and organizational size
- The number of organizations with contracts with managed care plans or accountable care organizations by market and organizational size
A free copy of The 2021 OPEN MINDS Performance Management Executive Survey: Where Are We On The Road To Value is available to all Elite and Premium members through our OPEN MINDS market surveys.
Monica E. Oss
Monica E. Oss, M.S., Chief Executive Officer and Senior Associate, is the founder of OPEN MINDS. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. Ms. Oss is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field. She has unique expertise in payer financing models, provider rate setting, and service pricing. She has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, managed care programs, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology, and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design.
What Health Plans Want: Making It Easier For Consumers To Get Care
What are the biggest concerns of health plans in the post-pandemic era and what do they expect from provider organizations? Increasing demand for mental health and addictions treatment calls for augmentation of the “supply chain.” The shift to value-based reimbursement is accelerating but hampered by the lack of standardization and benchmarks for quality outcome measures. Integration and gaps in the referral pipeline are also a concern. In the light of these concerns, what can provider organizations do to make it easier for consumers to get care, build stronger relationships with health plans, and deliver better outcomes? Ms. Boyd provides the answers in this session.
Erin Boyd
Erin Boyd is the Behavioral Network Strategy, Solutions and Program Director for Cigna Behavioral. Ms. Boyd is responsible for network marketing and communications, developing network strategy and overseeing network programs, and solutions to drive innovation, cost-savings, improved outcomes, and better care for Cigna customers. Ms. Boyd has been with Cigna for three years and provides a unique perspective to this role having most recently served as Senior Director of Business Development and Marketing for a behavioral hospital system. In addition, she has 20 years of experience in medical healthcare communications, marketing, public relations, and strategic planning.
Lunch On Your Own
The institute hotel is located on Clearwater Beach, steps away from many local favorite restaurants. Stop by the registration desk for a listing of restaurants.
Thought Leader Discussion Session With Erin Boyd, Behavioral Network Strategy Director, Cigna
Join us for a follow-up session with our keynote speaker Erin Boyd, Behavioral Network Strategy Director, Cigna. Use this time to ask questions and continue the morning’s discussion.
Erin Boyd
Erin Boyd is the Behavioral Network Strategy, Solutions and Program Director for Cigna Behavioral. Ms. Boyd is responsible for network marketing and communications, developing network strategy and overseeing network programs, and solutions to drive innovation, cost-savings, improved outcomes, and better care for Cigna customers. Ms. Boyd has been with Cigna for three years and provides a unique perspective to this role having most recently served as Senior Director of Business Development and Marketing for a behavioral hospital system. In addition, she has 20 years of experience in medical healthcare communications, marketing, public relations, and strategic planning.
Monica E. Oss
Monica E. Oss, M.S., Chief Executive Officer and Senior Associate, is the founder of OPEN MINDS. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. Ms. Oss is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field. She has unique expertise in payer financing models, provider rate setting, and service pricing. She has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, managed care programs, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology, and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design.
Planning For Revenue Expansion By Expanding Your Service Area – From Market Analysis To Launch
A market-focused planning process is necessary in order to develop new services that create better outcomes at a reduced total cost of care. Identification of changing, or unmet consumer needs, is the starting point. But moving from concept to execution requires a defined process and specific talent to design the new service and create the financial costing model.
In this session, attendees learn the key steps to:
- Identify services that address consumer and payer needs by improving service quality and reducing the cost of care
- Propose and negotiate new service innovations to payers
- Develop cost models for new and re-engineered services
- Calculate the return on invest (ROI) for new service models to demonstrate that they are financially feasible and reduces the cost of care
Ken Carr
Ken Carr brings more than 20 years of finance, technology, data analysis, and reporting experience in the health and human services field to OPEN MINDS. He currently is a Senior Associate with the OPEN MINDS consulting practice. In this role, he has served as a subject matter expert leading numerous engagements in strategic planning, merger and acquisition prospecting, business process improvement, financial analysis of service lines, and technology selection.
Before joining the OPEN MINDS team, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Centers, a community mental health center in Ocala, Florida. In this position, Mr. Carr led a realignment of the organization’s financial management functions. This included revenue cycle management, EHR bill implementation and reporting, cash management enhancement, and strategic financial analysis.
Prior to his role at The Centers, Mr. Carr served as Chief Financial Officer of Guild Incorporated, an organization providing residential and community based mental health services in St. Paul, Minnesota. As CFO, Mr. Carr led the financial, billing, IT, quality, informatics, compliance, and facilities activities. During his tenure at Guild Incorporated, Mr. Carr used his expertise in change management and business process improvement to lead the EHR implementation team, align service data reporting and financial performance, and lead the financial and data capture activities for new service initiatives.
Mr. Carr has also held the positions of Administrative Director and Finance Director at the St. Paul National Testing Laboratory, a biomedical testing facility of the American Red Cross. In those positions he oversaw activities to enhance inventory management, align financial results to industry standards, and improve financial and facilities performance through problem analysis and quality management initiatives. He also was involved in directing human resource functions during laboratory closing near the end of his tenure.
Mr. Carr earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota and a Master of Divinity Degree from Sioux Falls Seminary. He maintains an active CPA license with the State of South Dakota.
Addictions Treatment: The Case For Value
Health care payers are increasingly shifting away from fee-for-service payment systems that reward volume to value-based payment (VBP) models that incentivize high-quality, cost-effective care. The extent to which addiction treatment providers are engaged in VBP is minimal and is at various stages across the country. In this session, we will hear from an organization specializing in addiction treatment and a health plan that have worked together to successfully implement effective value-based payment arrangements. They will share their approach, discuss outcomes, and provide examples of their why VBP works.
Ashley Gibson
Ashley Gibson MA, LADC has been part of Hazelden Betty Ford since 2006, starting as a direct-care clinician. Shortly into her tenure she shifted her focus to using her clinical experience and expertise to improve a patient’s access to treatment services by supporting Hazelden Betty Ford’s work with third party payers. Having direct clinical experience, coupled with a payer and a provider utilization review background, Ashley’s knowledge has lent itself well to maximizing the relationships with payers and enhancing the patient experience as it relates to access, utilization and network management.
Ashley has been with Hazelden Betty Ford throughout their transition from an organization focused on residential care with a fixed-length-of-stay mindset to an organization focused on a patient-centered, individualized experience. Using a holistic health model, Hazelden Betty Ford supports patients’ overall engagement in services throughout the continuum of care, guiding them from clinical management into self-management of their disease. Ashley is passionate about upholding this model through building collaborative relationships with national, regional and local payers and securing creative contracting models to include: value based reimbursement, case rate agreements and Center of Excellence programs across all of Hazelden Betty Ford’s sites and programs.
James Stewart
James Stewart brings to OPEN MINDS more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. Mr. Stewart has helped develop and modify health care plans and benefits, retirement plans and benefits, and paid time off (PTO) plans for multiple behavioral healthcare providers. He has also had an integral role in program development and business planning for new strategic business lines. Additionally, he has led multiple teams in the selection, implementation, and use of multiple electronic health record (EHR) systems at several behavioral health care entities.
Mr. Stewart currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Grafton Integrated Health Network. He previously served as the Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, where he was responsible for the supervision of the Finance Departments, Contracting (both payer and vendor), Information Technology, Human Resources, Risk Management, Facilities Department, The Infant and Toddler Program, and the Education Department. He has participated and enabled the expansion of services through the acquisition of facilities and extension of the organization’s IT/HR network into Florida and West Virginia in the United States and also in Australia. Mr. Steward also spearheaded the process of developing and implementing a new paperless EHR, as well as a new accounting software that integrated with the electronic clinical record and billing system.
Prior to working at Grafton, Mr. Stewart was the Chief Financial Officer for the Center for Behavioral Health at Centerstone. In this position, he managed the coordination of a multi-disciplinary team through development and implementation of a Davies Award Winning Electronic Health Record. He developed new clinical programs to meet identified locality needs and established a merger between Non-Profit CMHC’s, which crossed state boundaries.
Mr. Stewart received his MBA with a Healthcare Administration focus from Indiana Wesleyan University. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Kentucky.
Integrating Social Determinants To Improve Performance Outcomes
The growing list of programs focused on the social determinants of health (SDoH) is diverse in approach and size. To deliver better health outcomes, social determinants —including poverty, food insecurity, lack of education, unstable housing, and environmental conditions — must be addressed to find success with whole person, value-based care. For provider organizations, the complexity of SDoH paired with current organizational priorities and services makes it difficult for providers to know where to focus.
This session will include strategic discussions on:
- How to capture data on consumers to identify what social service programs are needed
- How to measure social determinant outcomes as a part of whole person care
- Case study presentations from organizations that have integrated SDoH into their service lines
Eric T. Huss, Psy.D.
Experienced Regional Account Director with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. Skilled in Behavioral, Employee Assistance Program and Wellness Sales, Team Building, Management, and Account Management. Subject matter expert on behavioral health, substance use disorders and employee assistance programs with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) focused in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University Washington, DC
Megan Lipman
Megan Lipman serves as the vice president of Quality Management & Compliance at Jewish Family & Children’s Service. Megan has been a valued part of the JFCS team since 2015. Before her new role, Ms. Lipman was director of Quality Management for JFCS, responsible for oversight of quality management, analyzing key performance indicators and implementing initiatives in alignment with Triple Aim, which focuses on improving the patient experience, health populations and cost reduction.
She graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s in science in psychology and is a graduate of the JFCS Leadership Academy. Ms. Lipman has also received the JFCS’ “Exemplary Practice Story” honor in recent years.
Sharon Hicks
Sharon Hicks, OPEN MINDS Senior Associate, has more than 20 years of experience in the health and human service field. She has extensive experience and wide range of expertise in health plan management, in clinical operations management, and technology.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Ms. Hicks spent two decades in a number of executive positions within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) system and within its health plan division. Ms. Hicks served as the Chief Operating Officer for Community Care Behavioral Health, a managed behavioral health organization. There she was responsible for all aspects of the organization’s operations including fiscal, information systems, the claims processing department, and the design of clinical systems. In addition, Ms. Hicks managed the day-to-day operations of including human resources, facilities, purchasing, and security.
Ms. Hicks also served as the Vice President, Internet Strategy, UPMC Insurance Services Division and, since 2002, as the Chief Executive Officer of Askesis Development Group, Inc. In this role, Ms. Hicks was responsible for the growth of the company, profitability of the company, and the direction of software development.
Ms. Hicks started her impressive health care career as a psychiatric social worker before being promoted to Assistant Director of Social Work. Prior to her executive promotions, Ms. Hicks served as a Clinical Administrator for both Ambulatory Services and Emergency and Intake Services at the UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. In this role, she managed the behavioral health division, the budgets for all departments, and implemented new software replacing paper billing for clinical services.
Ms. Hicks received both her Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Social Work degrees from the University of Pittsburg. Before pursuing her graduate education, Ms. Hicks received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
Key Performance Indicators For Value-Based Care: How To Use Performance Metrics To Build A Value Proposition For Health Plans
More competition and more value-based reimbursement (VBR) are making performance metrics more important than ever for health and human service organizations. Finding the right performance metrics to demonstrate value to health plans has been a big challenge for many executive teams. One method of metrics-based management is the development of a key performance indicator (KPI) system. An effective KPI system captures financial and non-financial measures and is driven by structured data based upon an organization’s strategic objectives.
This session will cover:
- The steps to developing applicable measures
- The use of measures for building a value proposition for health plans
- Creating a strategy for demonstrating value with health plans
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M., Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.
Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics. Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.
Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, more than half of his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.
He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.
Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.
Improving Performance & Productivity Through Technology
In a health care marketplace dominated by the “next normal,” technology has become essential for any provider organization to improve performance and maximize productivity. Historically, much of health care has been limited to technologies such as electronic health records (EHR) and telehealth. However, as the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced organizations to deliver more remote and in-home services, there are many opportunities for provider organizations to leverage these innovative technologies to increase organizational efficiencies, improve consumer outcomes, and reduce costs.
In this session, we will discuss:
- The opportunities in using technology to improve outcomes in consumers’ care
- How to decide what technology would be beneficial for both organizations and consumers
- Case studies presentations from organizations who have seen improvements on performance and productivity using technology
Karin Jeffers
Karin Jeffers is President & CEO of Northampton-based nonprofit community behavioral health agency Clinical & Support Options Inc. (CSO). She has served in this role since 2005. During her tenure at the helm, theagency has grown from a $4 Million organization with fewer than 90 employees across just three Greenfield, Mass. locations to what is now a $44 million agency with more than 750 employees at 20 locations across Western Mass.
Jeffers moved to Western Mass. in 1987 when first attending Springfield College as an undergrad. She eventually earned a Master of Science in Counseling and Psychological Services and became a Licensed Mental HealthCounselor (LMHC). Shortly thereafter, she began her career as a clinician, focusing primarily on families and children.
In 1992, Jeffers joined Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC), where she stayed 14 years. At MSPCC, Jeffers was promoted six times, eventually becoming Regional Director.
Jeffers decided early in her career that leadership roles enabled her to effect positive change on both a “micro” and “macro” level. While she has always enjoyed the service-level interaction with behavioral healthclients, she also appreciates the broader ways in which solid nonprofit administration can improve communities.
That is why, in 2005, Jeffers joined Greenfield-based Clinical & Support Options Inc. (CSO) as their President and CEO. During her 15 years as President & CEO, CSO has seen year-over-year growth in both revenueand program expansion. The agency has added more than 650 jobs in the last decade and prides itself on internal promotion. CSO has earned national accreditation and has been awarded several key statewide and Federal grants. Jeffers’ guidance now enables CSOto provide affordable behavioral health services to more than 19,000 families and individuals annually.
Uday Madasu
Uday Madasu is the Chief Information Officer at The Jewish Board which is the largest Health and Human Services agency in New York City. He has worked in healthcare for the last 18 years and has hands-on experience implementing and managing healthcare information systems and also has extensive knowledge of healthcare financial and operational management.
Tom Base
Tom Base brings over 20 years of experience in growth strategies, investments and health care market knowledge to OPEN MINDS. Mr. Base has extensive experience in leading new initiatives that drive revenue growth, expand market share, and increase strategic advantage through partnerships, acquisitions, and financing.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Base served as the Managing Director of Boomtown Healthtech Accelerator. In this position, Mr. Base lead the organization’s investments in and mentorship of 28 health care innovation startups.
Prior to his role at Boomtown Healthtech Accelerator, Mr. Base served as a Chief Business Development Officer of Mental Health Partners, where he led the organization’s first commercial managed care strategy and successfully negotiated contracts with their major insurance carriers. Mr. Base also led the organization’s acquisition of a county addiction recovery center to expand into substance abuse services. In parallel, he led Mental Health Partners successful award of the substance abuse state contract and established the first integrated care partnerships with two major health systems by structuring new business, legal and compliance frameworks. Before that work, Mr. Base served as Business Development Director of Mental Health Center of Denver, where he was responsible for developing and implementing new product and service lines to increase and diversify revenue streams.
Mr. Base has also held the positions in the financial services and pharmaceutical sectors. He served as Executive Director, Business Development of CHDI Foundation, an organization focused on Huntington’s disease research and Business Development Director of Ionis (Isis) Pharmaceuticals. He was also Vice President, Investment Banking for Frost Securities and an Associate at RBC Capital Markets where he focused on the life sciences sector.
Mr. Base earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and an MBA/MBI from RSM Erasmus Graduate School of Business, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Improving Performance & Productivity Through Technology
In a health care marketplace dominated by the “next normal,” technology has become essential for any provider organization to improve performance and maximize productivity. Historically, much of health care has been limited to technologies such as electronic health records (EHR) and telehealth. However, as the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced organizations to deliver more remote and in-home services, there are many opportunities for provider organizations to leverage these innovative technologies to increase organizational efficiencies, improve consumer outcomes, and reduce costs.
In this session, we will discuss:
- The opportunities in using technology to improve outcomes in consumers’ care
- How to decide what technology would be beneficial for both organizations and consumers
- Case studies presentations from organizations who have seen improvements on performance and productivity using technology
Timothy Snyder, Jr.
Timothy G. Snyder, Jr. brings a unique combination of marketing, business development, and online media expertise to OPEN MINDS. Since joining our team in 2008, Mr. Snyder has led over twenty strategic marketing and sales-focused projects, including comprehensive product launch initiatives, corporate re-branding/positioning projects, and website/online marketing programs for some of the largest and most influential pharmaceutical and technology organizations in the industry. In addition to his work in the consulting practice, Mr. Snyder currently oversees the marketing, public relations, and sales divisions of OPEN MINDS.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Snyder served as OPEN MINDS Vice President Of Marketing. During this time he was led the successful launch of multiple new product offerings, the re-design of the OPEN MINDS website, and the launch of PsychU.org – a free online community and resource center for professionals in the mental health community.
Mr. Snyder is a 2008 graduate of the AACSB Internationally accredited John L. Grove College of Business at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in both Marketing Communications and Business Management.
Emily Korns, MBA, RDN
Emily Korns, MBA, RDN brings nearly 20 years of health care marketing and communications experience to OPEN MINDS. Having started her career as a Program Manager for the Allegheny County Health Department where she developed and delivered behavior change and education programs designed to prevent chronic disease in vulnerable populations throughout greater Pittsburgh, PA, Ms. Korns brings a similar focus on population health, wellness, and nutrition expertise to OPEN MINDS.
Most recently, Ms. Korns was the Director of Communications and Marketing for Conemaugh Health System in Johnstown, PA, part of Duke Lifepoint Healthcare, where she led marketing communications for the health system’s four hospitals, outpatient clinics, and 40+ physician practices. Ms. Korns managed, executed, and measured the ROI of the department’s $1.4 million budget and served on the executive leadership team. During her tenure with the health system, Ms. Korns directed external media relations, internal communications strategies, and executed digital and social media, advertising, and sponsorship campaigns focused on consumer access. Ms. Korns implemented service line launches, regional expansion projects, and organization change initiatives that led to revenue and EBITDA growth exceeding budget targets.
Karin Jeffers
Karin Jeffers is President & CEO of Northampton-based nonprofit community behavioral health agency Clinical & Support Options Inc. (CSO). She has served in this role since 2005. During her tenure at the helm, theagency has grown from a $4 Million organization with fewer than 90 employees across just three Greenfield, Mass. locations to what is now a $44 million agency with more than 750 employees at 20 locations across Western Mass.
Jeffers moved to Western Mass. in 1987 when first attending Springfield College as an undergrad. She eventually earned a Master of Science in Counseling and Psychological Services and became a Licensed Mental HealthCounselor (LMHC). Shortly thereafter, she began her career as a clinician, focusing primarily on families and children.
In 1992, Jeffers joined Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC), where she stayed 14 years. At MSPCC, Jeffers was promoted six times, eventually becoming Regional Director.
Jeffers decided early in her career that leadership roles enabled her to effect positive change on both a “micro” and “macro” level. While she has always enjoyed the service-level interaction with behavioral healthclients, she also appreciates the broader ways in which solid nonprofit administration can improve communities.
That is why, in 2005, Jeffers joined Greenfield-based Clinical & Support Options Inc. (CSO) as their President and CEO. During her 15 years as President & CEO, CSO has seen year-over-year growth in both revenueand program expansion. The agency has added more than 650 jobs in the last decade and prides itself on internal promotion. CSO has earned national accreditation and has been awarded several key statewide and Federal grants. Jeffers’ guidance now enables CSOto provide affordable behavioral health services to more than 19,000 families and individuals annually.
Using Value-Based Reimbursement To Drive Service Innovation
Value-based reimbursement (VBR) is not going to be set aside or delayed as a result of the pandemic. If anything, it is going to be adopted as a strategy to keep costs down during a time where budgets are increasingly strained. With this strategy, innovation has become key. Our panel of health plan executives will discuss their perspective on how VBR has driven innovation, even despite the market disruption caused by the public health emergency. They will also provide insight on how providers can use VBR to drive innovation within their organizations.
Amy Ayrault
Amy Ayrault is the Director of Contracting and Payment Innovation at Cigna, where she is responsible for the development and oversight of all behavioral provider and facility contracting solutions. Amy is passionate about creating contract reimbursement models that reward providers for delivering high quality, cost effective care. Amy has recently created reimbursement solutions for Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs, virtual care solutions, and for behavioral providers delivering care within medical physician practices. Before joining Cigna, Amy worked in community mental health, providing direct care to adults and adolescents in Baltimore MD.
Amy Pearlman
- Amy Pearlman, Assistant Vice President, Provider Partnerships, works to integrate Beacon Health Options’ clinical vision with network providers. Throughout her career, she has transitioned between provider and payer settings with a goal to improve access and health for individuals and families. She is an independently licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Massachusetts, with a master’s degree in Social Work from Smith College, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish Language and Literature from Brandeis University.
Tom Base
Tom Base brings over 20 years of experience in growth strategies, investments and health care market knowledge to OPEN MINDS. Mr. Base has extensive experience in leading new initiatives that drive revenue growth, expand market share, and increase strategic advantage through partnerships, acquisitions, and financing.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Base served as the Managing Director of Boomtown Healthtech Accelerator. In this position, Mr. Base lead the organization’s investments in and mentorship of 28 health care innovation startups.
Prior to his role at Boomtown Healthtech Accelerator, Mr. Base served as a Chief Business Development Officer of Mental Health Partners, where he led the organization’s first commercial managed care strategy and successfully negotiated contracts with their major insurance carriers. Mr. Base also led the organization’s acquisition of a county addiction recovery center to expand into substance abuse services. In parallel, he led Mental Health Partners successful award of the substance abuse state contract and established the first integrated care partnerships with two major health systems by structuring new business, legal and compliance frameworks. Before that work, Mr. Base served as Business Development Director of Mental Health Center of Denver, where he was responsible for developing and implementing new product and service lines to increase and diversify revenue streams.
Mr. Base has also held the positions in the financial services and pharmaceutical sectors. He served as Executive Director, Business Development of CHDI Foundation, an organization focused on Huntington’s disease research and Business Development Director of Ionis (Isis) Pharmaceuticals. He was also Vice President, Investment Banking for Frost Securities and an Associate at RBC Capital Markets where he focused on the life sciences sector.
Mr. Base earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and an MBA/MBI from RSM Erasmus Graduate School of Business, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Ken Carr
Ken Carr brings more than 20 years of finance, technology, data analysis, and reporting experience in the health and human services field to OPEN MINDS. He currently is a Senior Associate with the OPEN MINDS consulting practice. In this role, he has served as a subject matter expert leading numerous engagements in strategic planning, merger and acquisition prospecting, business process improvement, financial analysis of service lines, and technology selection.
Before joining the OPEN MINDS team, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Centers, a community mental health center in Ocala, Florida. In this position, Mr. Carr led a realignment of the organization’s financial management functions. This included revenue cycle management, EHR bill implementation and reporting, cash management enhancement, and strategic financial analysis.
Prior to his role at The Centers, Mr. Carr served as Chief Financial Officer of Guild Incorporated, an organization providing residential and community based mental health services in St. Paul, Minnesota. As CFO, Mr. Carr led the financial, billing, IT, quality, informatics, compliance, and facilities activities. During his tenure at Guild Incorporated, Mr. Carr used his expertise in change management and business process improvement to lead the EHR implementation team, align service data reporting and financial performance, and lead the financial and data capture activities for new service initiatives.
Mr. Carr has also held the positions of Administrative Director and Finance Director at the St. Paul National Testing Laboratory, a biomedical testing facility of the American Red Cross. In those positions he oversaw activities to enhance inventory management, align financial results to industry standards, and improve financial and facilities performance through problem analysis and quality management initiatives. He also was involved in directing human resource functions during laboratory closing near the end of his tenure.
Mr. Carr earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota and a Master of Divinity Degree from Sioux Falls Seminary. He maintains an active CPA license with the State of South Dakota.
James Stewart
James Stewart brings to OPEN MINDS more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. Mr. Stewart has helped develop and modify health care plans and benefits, retirement plans and benefits, and paid time off (PTO) plans for multiple behavioral healthcare providers. He has also had an integral role in program development and business planning for new strategic business lines. Additionally, he has led multiple teams in the selection, implementation, and use of multiple electronic health record (EHR) systems at several behavioral health care entities.
Mr. Stewart currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Grafton Integrated Health Network. He previously served as the Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, where he was responsible for the supervision of the Finance Departments, Contracting (both payer and vendor), Information Technology, Human Resources, Risk Management, Facilities Department, The Infant and Toddler Program, and the Education Department. He has participated and enabled the expansion of services through the acquisition of facilities and extension of the organization’s IT/HR network into Florida and West Virginia in the United States and also in Australia. Mr. Steward also spearheaded the process of developing and implementing a new paperless EHR, as well as a new accounting software that integrated with the electronic clinical record and billing system.
Prior to working at Grafton, Mr. Stewart was the Chief Financial Officer for the Center for Behavioral Health at Centerstone. In this position, he managed the coordination of a multi-disciplinary team through development and implementation of a Davies Award Winning Electronic Health Record. He developed new clinical programs to meet identified locality needs and established a merger between Non-Profit CMHC’s, which crossed state boundaries.
Mr. Stewart received his MBA with a Healthcare Administration focus from Indiana Wesleyan University. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Kentucky.
Start Your Day With Yoga!
Rejuvenate your creativity, focus, and mindfulness by starting your day with yoga. This class will wake you up and get you going for the rest of the day!
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M., Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.
Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics. Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.
Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, more than half of his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.
He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.
Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.
What Provider Organizations Should Expect As Managed Care Moves To A Whole Person Focus
State Medicaid agencies are no longer willing to pay managed care organizations (MCOs) to manage the costs of health care only. Their focus is extending beyond traditional HEDIS measures to look at population-level outcomes for a spectrum of social and economic needs. This is leading MCOs to explore new partnerships, new dimensions in care coordination, new types of provider organizations in their network, data interoperability across health and social service systems, and new value-based reimbursement models. Hear from Amy Kendall about how this shifting focus of MCOs will define new expectations for organizations serving complex populations with serious mental illnesses and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Learn what health plans are looking for and how provider organizations can come to the table with innovations and evidence-based practices to impact consumers’ health and non-health indicators.
Thought Leader Discussion Session With Amy Kendall, Vice President, Complex Populations, Caresource
Join us for a follow-up session with our keynote speaker, Amy Kendall, Vice President, Complex Populations, Caresource. Use this time to ask questions and continue the morning’s discussion.
Tom Base
Tom Base brings over 20 years of experience in growth strategies, investments and health care market knowledge to OPEN MINDS. Mr. Base has extensive experience in leading new initiatives that drive revenue growth, expand market share, and increase strategic advantage through partnerships, acquisitions, and financing.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Base served as the Managing Director of Boomtown Healthtech Accelerator. In this position, Mr. Base lead the organization’s investments in and mentorship of 28 health care innovation startups.
Prior to his role at Boomtown Healthtech Accelerator, Mr. Base served as a Chief Business Development Officer of Mental Health Partners, where he led the organization’s first commercial managed care strategy and successfully negotiated contracts with their major insurance carriers. Mr. Base also led the organization’s acquisition of a county addiction recovery center to expand into substance abuse services. In parallel, he led Mental Health Partners successful award of the substance abuse state contract and established the first integrated care partnerships with two major health systems by structuring new business, legal and compliance frameworks. Before that work, Mr. Base served as Business Development Director of Mental Health Center of Denver, where he was responsible for developing and implementing new product and service lines to increase and diversify revenue streams.
Mr. Base has also held the positions in the financial services and pharmaceutical sectors. He served as Executive Director, Business Development of CHDI Foundation, an organization focused on Huntington’s disease research and Business Development Director of Ionis (Isis) Pharmaceuticals. He was also Vice President, Investment Banking for Frost Securities and an Associate at RBC Capital Markets where he focused on the life sciences sector.
Mr. Base earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and an MBA/MBI from RSM Erasmus Graduate School of Business, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Moving From Long-Term To Short-Term Residential Services
For residential treatment services, not only are long-term and short-term models different in structure, the funding structure and cost of services vary greatly. For most consumer populations, the goal is to limit long-term residential wherever possible and to focus care delivery on home- and community-based services. As a result, there are some fundamental changes — new treatment models and new technologies — that are changing payer and consumer preference, and in turn, changing how services are delivered.
This session will focus on the changing landscape in residential treatment services from both the health plan and provider perspective and will cover:
- Trends in prevalence, utilization, treatment models, and reimbursement
- Best practices in accessing payer demand
- Steps needed to move from long-term to short-term residential treatment services
Sharon Hicks
Sharon Hicks, OPEN MINDS Senior Associate, has more than 20 years of experience in the health and human service field. She has extensive experience and wide range of expertise in health plan management, in clinical operations management, and technology.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Ms. Hicks spent two decades in a number of executive positions within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) system and within its health plan division. Ms. Hicks served as the Chief Operating Officer for Community Care Behavioral Health, a managed behavioral health organization. There she was responsible for all aspects of the organization’s operations including fiscal, information systems, the claims processing department, and the design of clinical systems. In addition, Ms. Hicks managed the day-to-day operations of including human resources, facilities, purchasing, and security.
Ms. Hicks also served as the Vice President, Internet Strategy, UPMC Insurance Services Division and, since 2002, as the Chief Executive Officer of Askesis Development Group, Inc. In this role, Ms. Hicks was responsible for the growth of the company, profitability of the company, and the direction of software development.
Ms. Hicks started her impressive health care career as a psychiatric social worker before being promoted to Assistant Director of Social Work. Prior to her executive promotions, Ms. Hicks served as a Clinical Administrator for both Ambulatory Services and Emergency and Intake Services at the UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. In this role, she managed the behavioral health division, the budgets for all departments, and implemented new software replacing paper billing for clinical services.
Ms. Hicks received both her Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Social Work degrees from the University of Pittsburg. Before pursuing her graduate education, Ms. Hicks received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
Market, Math & Metrics: Three Keys To Optimizing Your Strategy
When it comes to assessing how to move forward with a new strategy or to achieve the necessary performance, the number of potential resources and “first steps” for health and human service organizations can be overwhelming. However, in most cases, it comes down to three elements: market research for planning, math for decisionmaking, and metrics for management. Knowing the key market issues, the value of “math,” and the right performance metrics are essential for strategic decisionmaking in the current and future markets.
Join us for this session where we will discuss:
- Understanding potential customers, contributors, and funders through market research
- How to “do the math,” adjust the model, and make the right decisions when developing operational and financial models
- Ensuring you have the right measures to turn data to into actionable and meaningful measures to improve performance
Ken Carr
Ken Carr brings more than 20 years of finance, technology, data analysis, and reporting experience in the health and human services field to OPEN MINDS. He currently is a Senior Associate with the OPEN MINDS consulting practice. In this role, he has served as a subject matter expert leading numerous engagements in strategic planning, merger and acquisition prospecting, business process improvement, financial analysis of service lines, and technology selection.
Before joining the OPEN MINDS team, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Centers, a community mental health center in Ocala, Florida. In this position, Mr. Carr led a realignment of the organization’s financial management functions. This included revenue cycle management, EHR bill implementation and reporting, cash management enhancement, and strategic financial analysis.
Prior to his role at The Centers, Mr. Carr served as Chief Financial Officer of Guild Incorporated, an organization providing residential and community based mental health services in St. Paul, Minnesota. As CFO, Mr. Carr led the financial, billing, IT, quality, informatics, compliance, and facilities activities. During his tenure at Guild Incorporated, Mr. Carr used his expertise in change management and business process improvement to lead the EHR implementation team, align service data reporting and financial performance, and lead the financial and data capture activities for new service initiatives.
Mr. Carr has also held the positions of Administrative Director and Finance Director at the St. Paul National Testing Laboratory, a biomedical testing facility of the American Red Cross. In those positions he oversaw activities to enhance inventory management, align financial results to industry standards, and improve financial and facilities performance through problem analysis and quality management initiatives. He also was involved in directing human resource functions during laboratory closing near the end of his tenure.
Mr. Carr earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota and a Master of Divinity Degree from Sioux Falls Seminary. He maintains an active CPA license with the State of South Dakota.
How to Facilitate Organizational Change In A Changing Market
Motivational interviewing is an effective tool to transform conversations about change within an organization. Colleen Marshall, author of Motivational Interviewing for Leaders in the Helping Professions: Facilitating Change in Organizations, will discuss the powerful ways motivational interviewing can be used to generate solutions to align staff, address performance, and to redesign procedures or programs.
Colleen Marshall, MA, LMFT
Colleen Marshall, MA, LMFT, has extensive experience in clinical practice, leadership, and management, and has held executive and senior-level positions in large behavioral health organizations. She is currently Director of Behavioral Health Operations for Well, a health technology and services company, and serves as a consultant and trainer for start-up, nonprofit, and health care organizations. Ms. Marshall is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), for which she has served as Chair, Treasurer, board member, and trainer of new trainers. She has helped to consult and lead large-scale MI implementation and has been invited to speak at regional, national, and international conferences.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M.
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, Ed.M., Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.
Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics. Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.
Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, more than half of his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.
He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.
Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.
Positioning Your Organization For The “Next Normal”
The pandemic crisis is almost certain to change behavioral health for the long-term. Many practices have been altered to meet the extraordinary demands that the pandemic has imposed on behavioral healthcare providers and payers. As we look to the “next normal”, performance will matter. The advantage will go to the organizations that are data driven with documented “better” performance. Monica Oss will discuss the data and performance measures needed and share why they will be key to an organization’s success.
Monica E. Oss
Monica E. Oss, M.S., Chief Executive Officer and Senior Associate, is the founder of OPEN MINDS. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. Ms. Oss is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field. She has unique expertise in payer financing models, provider rate setting, and service pricing. She has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, managed care programs, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology, and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design.